Is the generally accepted strategy of machine-translation research optimal?

This paper first presents a theoretical interpretation of the translation process. It then analyzes existing machine-translation research strategies and points out that some of the generally accepted principles of these strategies are not optimal. Finally, an alternative strategy is proposed, based on the author's theoretical position and research results. The possibility of achieving independent high-quality machine translation (be it only the translation of scientific and technical literature, to say nothing of fiction and poetry) has always been the object of animated discussions. Even today, after fifteen years of hard work in both the Old and New World, this possibility is called in question by some authors who feel it impossible to realize this goal either in general or at least in the foreseeable future. These authors, in upholding the impossibility of achieving high-quality MT, have used different arguments: the limited possibilities of the electronic computer ; the impossibility of formalizing this type of mental activity of man [1]; the general idea of untranslat-ability; the impossibility of describing precisely and therefore of algorithmizing the language processes, which, in their opinion, are purely human processes reflecting the subtleties of the human mind [2]. Other reasons given are economic impracticability and, finally, a number of emotional arguments in favor of the greatness and primacy of man [3] and the like. The development of contemporary scientific thought, as well as the conclusions which follow from the theoretical studies in MT and from the analysis of experimental algorithms, show (setting aside the economic problems) that most of these arguments, usually products of preconceived ideas or inadequate information [4], are not convincing and do not deserve further treatment. One indisputable fact remains, however: apart from the Centre d'étude pour la traduction automatique (CETA) in Grenoble, which has set itself the task of producing a program for production translation of Rus-sian scientific texts into French [5] by the end of 1968, no group has worked out, or adopted as its objective to develop, an algorithm capable of giving independent high-quality translation of a sufficiently wide class of texts in the near future. Here I do not have in mind the numerous successful experimental MTs of separate texts or the considerable practical successes achieved in the automation of the translation of special types of texts, such as bank texts, bookkeeping, patent texts, etc., as well as the successes * I wish to acknowledge with thanks the efforts of …